1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hollow reamer for medical applications; and more particularly, to a hollow reamer having a disposable cutter assembly which can be attached to a reusable shaft portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Reaming of the internal canal of bones is required in many surgical procedures of orthopedic surgery. These procedures include hip replacement, knee replacement and shoulder replacement. Reamers are also used in procedures that involve the internal fixation of fractures. Prior art reamers typically fall into two major classes: rigid and flexible shaft. Typically, reaming of the internal bone canal is achieved through utilization of a solid cylindrical or tapered reamer. Solid cylindrical or tapered reamers currently utilized are required to cut both cancellous bone (spongy bone) and cortical bone (hard bone). Cortical bone is generally denser and stronger, requiring an efficient cutter to machine the canal for a proper fit of the implant. Conventional reamers can cut cortical bone initially but can quickly dull after a single use, or at best a few uses. Once the reamer has dull cutting edges, it reduces the efficiency of bone cutting and in addition generates sufficient friction/heat to damage or kill the surrounding bone. These prior art solid cylindrical or tapered reamers are intended for multiple uses and therefore become less efficient after each surgery, resulting in poor cutting performance and bone necrosis.
There remains a need in the art for a hollow reamer for medical applications having a disposable hollow cutter assembly which can be attached to a reusable shaft portion that provides means for reaming of the internal canal of bones whereby after one or more uses of the reamer a new hollow cutter assembly is utilized and the old hollow cutter assembly is discarded.